Judges 2:19 (WEB)

Passage

But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.

Nearby Context

Judges 2:17 Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.

Judges 2:18 When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.

Judges 2:19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.

Judges 2:20 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,

Judges 2:21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "judge", "dead", "turned", "back", "dealt", "corruptly", "than", and "fathers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "judge" and "dead", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "When Yahweh raised up judges for them..." into verse 20's "Yahweh s anger burned against Israel and...", so "judge" and "dead" belong inside that flow. In Judges context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "judge" and "dead" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.